


Save The Last Dance

by venomandchampagne (sushibunny)



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Marvel Cinematic Universe Fusion, But it's Been 7 Years Where Have You Been, Captain America: The First Avenger, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Humor, I Guess Spoilers for the Movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-16 05:16:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13629384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sushibunny/pseuds/venomandchampagne
Summary: She was just a girl from Brooklyn who wanted to make a difference.She ended up saving the world.





	Save The Last Dance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [princessoftheworlds](https://archiveofourown.org/users/princessoftheworlds/gifts).



> I was inspired by your love of crossovers/fusions and ships, so I hope this turned into something you enjoy!

The moment Caroline first laid eyes on Agent Mikaelson she knew he was trouble. He was everything she was not; suave, poised, confident, with an air of authority about him. Not to mention his magnificently groomed curls- so unlike her limp locks, dry and thin from malnourishment- that framed a face more suited to parlours and snifters of bourbon than fields of dirt and wartime; and the elegant flow of his accent didn’t help deter that image either. But the moment he clocked that fat-head Hodge in the nose for making a comment about the sight of Caroline’s ‘boney rump’ in her fatigues, she could just tell:

That man with his stormy blue eyes and dazzling smirk would be the end of her.

Not that they interacted much, at first. Agent Mikaelson was a mostly silent observer, relegated to notetaking and what equated to little more than babysitting duty in his role of Operations Supervisor. Then there was of course the yelling and berating that came along with drills and training, which, if you asked her, he enjoyed just a bit too much. Caroline was fairly certain that the use of pet names like ‘sweetheart’ and ‘love’ wasn’t standard military practice either, but Mikaelson didn’t seem to care; and neither did some of the recruits based on the shy smiles and titters she would observe directed his way when they thought he wasn’t paying attention. But somehow it always seemed like he was, that damnable smirk growing wider every time.

Then Caroline somehow managed to beat out her fellow recruits for the coveted… top secret something or another, being chosen out of all the seemingly more capable men and women surrounding her day in and day out in training. It was surreal to her, a small slip of a girl from Brooklyn- history of sickness and maladies galore- winning out over the very same type who would corner her in alleys and ditch her on prearranged dates. And Agent Mikaelson seemed the least surprised of them all- besides Dr. Sommers of course- that familiar smirk curling his unfairly red lips as she lay curled up in the dirt on top of the apparently dummy grenade.

“Well done, love,” he had said as she raised her head from the dusty ground in confusion, looking around at the scattered recruits and the somewhat disgruntled looking Colonel Saltzman.

It was the first thing he had said directly to her, and all she could think to say was a sputtered “Thanks?” frowning as he turned away to converse with the other officers with a chuckle.

It wasn’t until later that they had an actual conversation, seated in the backseat of a car on the way to what would surely be a turning point in Caroline’s life- whether it be a grand improvement or an early death, a life worth living or a deep regret.

Dr. Sommers had said she had been chosen because of her compassion, but she was having a difficult time believing that when she struggled to keep her eyes from rolling as she rode next to the dashing British agent, prattling on and on about America’s pitiful lack of good tea and his seemingly endless count of siblings.

For nearly the entire ride from the training base to the facility in the city.

“I got beat up in that alley,” Caroline blurted out in an attempt to redirect the conversation. Not her best idea for a topic change, but she was honestly surprised to see the familiar neighborhood again. It seemed like so long ago since she had last been there, and yet also not; as if she was still that scared, sickly girl that was easy pickings for the local bullies, being cornered in alleyways and forced to use trash can lids to ward them off until Kat would inevitably arrive to help. In some ways she supposed she would always be that girl, no matter what Dr. Sommer’s Super Soldier experiment did to her body.

She could tell Agent Mikaelson was sending her a questioning look- for her interruption or her comment, she wasn’t sure- but she continued anyway. “And I was dumped in that parking lot. And in front of that diner.” At his raised brow she looked away again, embarrassed. “Sorry, I’m sure a good looking fella like yourself wouldn’t know anything about that sort of thing. Or a-a man. An agent, not a fella. Do they say ‘fella’ in England? I mean…”

He gave her a look that was a cross between incredulous and amused. “You don’t get out much, do you, sweetheart?”

“I think this training camp was the furthest away from home I’ve ever been,” she admitted, smile self deprecating. “A girl like me doesn’t have much opportunity to do otherwise. Unless I marry someone who likes to travel, I suppose. Though men aren’t exactly lining up to dance with a girl who won’t take their flack or stay at home doing their dishes, let alone marry one.”

“It’s a travesty you’ve never left this city, love. Though you must have danced,” Mikaelson said, looking at her in sudden interest.

“Can’t do something you’re not asked. Not if you’re a girl, at least,” Caroline said, gazing back out the window at the passing buildings. “Then the war happened, and it didn’t seem to matter much anymore. Figured I’d just wait.”

“For what?”

“The right partner,” she sighed, continuing to stare out at the brick and concrete landscape, missing the soft smile on his face.

Her world changed in a blur of blinding light and white hot pain after that.

After following Agent Mikaelson into the secret lab, stripping down to her training brassiere, being strapped to the table, and meeting Ms. Bennett, Caroline didn’t remember much. Brief flashes were all she could recall after all was said and done; Dr. Sommers reassuring her, Agent Mikaelson leaving the main floor with a worried look- though that was probably just her mind playing tricks, surely- the injections, the vertigo-inducing movement of the table which wasn’t really a table at all, being locked in the chamber. All of it paled in comparison to the searing, previously unimaginable levels of pain she felt once the process began.

Yet still she persisted through it, refusing to give up, to let everyone- her country- down. Caroline endured it all. And somehow managed to come out on the other side.

She barely recalled the chamber opening again or Dr. Sommers calling her name before she was in the middle of the lab, surrounded by excited scientist and military personnel. And Agent Mikaelson.

“How do you feel?” he asked, looking at her with what seemed to be awe to Caroline’s pain addled mind but probably wasn’t.

“Taller,” she gasped, finding the energy somehow to stand up straighter, noticing they were just about eye to eye now instead of eye to chin.

Mikaelson reached out his hand, fingertips almost grazing her newly thickened and lengthened hair- the lifeless strands replaced with healthy curls Caroline hadn’t had since she was a babe- before he jerked his hand back, remembering himself before hastily grabbing her shirt from a waiting nurse. “You look… taller.”

Then time sped up again, the brief celebration interrupted by an explosion, a shooting, Dr. Sommers’ death. And then Caroline was outside, pushing Agent Mikaelson out of the way of a speeding car, which for some reason he had been refusing to get out of the way of.

“I had him!” he yelled even as Caroline sprang to her feet, newfound strength and speed propelling her after the car and Dr. Sommers’ killer.

“You’re welcome!” she yelled back, rolling her eyes as she ran.

The chase was brief yet invigorating. Caroline had never felt such power before. She could understand why Dr. Sommers had been wary about giving it to someone; it was addicting. But as she watched the killer threaten a little boy, she knew she could never use it for anything other than good- for stopping others from harming those less powerful than them. And that’s exactly what she vowed to do with it.

But it seemed the powers that be had other plans for her.

She wasn’t sure how many USO tours she had been on- using her newfound power to convince people to help fund the war effort and raise morale- when she finally saw him again.

“Hello, sweetheart.”

She looked up from her notebook, surprise written across her face as she looked up at the face she hadn’t seen outside of her dreams in months. “Hi.”

Rain poured down around them outside the small stage area as Agent Mikaelson came to sit down beside her.

“I see you’ve finally managed to travel outside New York.”

“This isn’t quite what I had in mind,” she said with a sigh, eyeing the stage curtains behind them. “Though I’m sure I wouldn’t know where to start on my own anyway.”

Mikaelson opened his mouth to speak before he closed it once more, looking out at the rain.

“What are you doing here?” she asked before the silence could become awkward.

“Officially I’m not here at all,” he said turning to face her, gaze landing somewhere around her shoulders- where her eye level used to be- before correcting and moving up. “That was quite a performance, sweetheart.”

“Yeah, well, usually I get a warmer reception. Must be the weather,” she mused, barely able to keep the bitterness from her voice. “At least it’s better than the alternative,” she continued, looking away, “Saltzman would have me stuck in a lab somewhere. At least here I’m… useful.”

“And these are your only two options?” Agent Mikaelson questioned. “A lab rat or dancing monkey. You were meant for more than this, love.”

Caroline scoffed softly. Did he think she didn’t know that? Dr. Sommers had wanted to help people, save them with her Super Soldier Serum. And what was Caroline doing with her newfound power? Dancing on stage and fake punching a fake Hitler as part of some marketing scheme. But what was she supposed to do? She was still just that fragile girl from Brooklyn, no matter how tall she grew, how defined her abs became, how thickly muscled her arms and legs were, or how bright and curly her hair got. And that girl had no power there.

“What?” he asked, brow furrowing as he regarded her more seriously than anyone had in longer than she could recall.

“You know, for the longest time I dreamed about coming overseas, being on the front lines, serving my country. And I thought with ' _this,'"_  she said, gesturing to her enhanced body, “it was finally coming true. I finally got everything I wanted. And I’m wearing tights.” The bitter tone was impossible to hide any longer.

Mikaelson looked like he wanted to say something when they were interrupted by the arrival of an ambulance, something so common on the front lines of a war, yet something that would finally spur a change in Caroline’s monotonous existence.

She hadn’t known who she had been performing for- they rarely deemed it necessary information for her to know, and Caroline had learned not to bother to ask. But when she learned that it had been Kat’s division- and she most certainly hadn’t seen her best friend in the crowd- things changed.

After her confrontation with Saltzman- god, she really hated that man- Caroline decided to take matters into her own hands.

“What do you plan to do, walk to Austria?” Mikaelson asked incredulously, following her into the supply tent after she had stormed off.

“If that’s what it takes,” she said briskly, trading her overcoat for a leather jacket.

“You heard the Colonel, your friend is most likely dead.”

Caroline had to bite her lip to keep from screaming. “You don’t know that.” You don’t know Kat, is what she wanted to say.

“Even so, he’s devising a strategy-”

“By the time he’s done that it could be too late!” Grabbing a gear bag and her prop shield she stormed out of the tent, throwing everything in the back of a jeep.

“Caroline!”

She paused, anger dimming as she registered the use of her given name and not an endearment. It was… nice. But she didn’t have time for ‘nice’ at the moment. “You told me you thought I was meant for more than this.” She stared intently into his steely blue eyes. “Did you mean that?”

“Every word,” he answered, without hesitation.

Something pulled at her heart, but she ignored it, striding to the driver’s seat after a moment. “Then you have to let me go.”

Mikaelson put his hand on the wheel, stopping her once again. Before she could yell at him he hurried on, voice determined, “I can do more than that.”

Before Caroline knew it she was flying over enemy lines in Ms. Bennett’s plane, going over her plan of rescue in the back and listening to Bennett flirt with Mikaelson, much to Caroline’s annoyance. Because it wasn’t professional, of course, that was all.

“Bennett is the best civilian pilot I’ve ever seen. We’re lucky to have her,” Mikaelson declared after a particularly flirtatious comment came from Ms. Bennett about grabbing fondue, eyes darting back and forth between the two women.

“So are you two- do you…” Caroline blurted, eyeing Bennett where she sat in the pilot seat before turning back to Mikaelson. “Fondue?” She could have smacked herself.

Klaus immediately looked to the floor, mouth curving around words he didn’t say for a moment before the corner of his lips curled up slightly. “This is your transponder,” he said instead of whatever he had been about to, thrusting a small device into Caroline’s hands. “Activate it when you’re ready and the signal will lead us to you, love.”

“You sure this thing works?” Caroline called up to Bennett, eyeing the small piece of electronics that her fate rested on.

“Tested more than you, hun.”

Caroline was getting a little tired of all the pet names, honestly.

When they started taking fire, she moved to the door, preparing to make an early jump, only to be stopped by Mikaelson.

“Get back here, we’re taking you all the way in!”

“As soon as I’m clear turn this thing around and get the hell out of here,” Caroline demanded, grabbing her shield and preparing to jump.

“You can’t give me orders,” Mikaelson informed her, shooting her an almost puzzled glare.

“The hell I can’t,” Caroline said, smirking over at him. “I’m a Captain.”

The look on his face right before she jumped would stay with her for long after; more exhilarating than the wind against her skin as she pushed out of the plane and into the open night sky.

The base infiltration was relatively easy; apparently no one was expecting an American enhanced with Super Soldier Serum to try and slip in. Calling herself Captain America when the captured soldiers asked who she was hadn’t been planned, but it had finally felt… right. Like it was finally who she was and not just a part she played.

And when she found Kat, alive and mostly well, it was like she had found her purpose.

Especially after meeting Silas.

Caroline had thought Hitler was the worst the war had to offer. Oh how wrong she had been.

Walking back into camp, leading a band of men and women written off and left for dead had almost overshadowed the feeling of dread that had been twisting in her gut since her confrontation with the man; especially once she caught sight of the pinched look on Saltzman’s face.

She had to fight to keep the smirk off her own as she sent him a salute, playing the part of America’s Sweetheart which she had fallen so easily into over the past few months. “Some of these men need medical attention,” she informed him before looking straight ahead like a proper soldier. “I’d like to surrender myself for disciplinary action,” she continued, knowing full well how that would go over for the Colonel in front of a group of soldiers she had single handedly rescued from enemy hands.

Caroline was compassionate, not stupid.

“... That won’t be necessary,” Saltzman grumbled, looking away, though she caught a shadow of a smile before he turned to leave. Maybe there was still hope for him yet.

“Yes sir.” Caroline allowed her gaze to sweep over to Agent Mikaelson, who stood watching her with an amused expression. Perhaps the rescue had not been so single handed, actually.

Mikaelson walked up to her after a moment of regard, close enough that she could see the way the humidity of the morning curled his hair against his scalp. “You’re late,” he declared, shooting her a look of annoyance that she could somehow tell was no more than a facade.

Caroline grinned, reaching into her jacket to pull out the transponder, bullet ridden and useless. “Couldn’t call my ride,” she said with an air of nonchalance.

He looked at her in the way she imagined the men in her old romance novels- dogeared and worn underneath her bed back home- looked at the women they were about to kiss. But they weren’t in a story- and Caroline was still Caroline, new body or not, and that would never happen to her- so all that happened was Kat- ever boisterous and with impeccable timing- started a chant in her honor, riling up the entire camp in turn.

Things moved swiftly after that; if only she had known all she needed to do to be taken seriously was to leap from a plane deep into Nazi territory to rescue a platoon of soldiers from an evil mad scientist all by herself, she would have done so sooner.

Soon she had an elite squad under her command, including her best friend who she was determined to keep a better eye on and make sure never fell into enemy hands again. Together they would take down Silas and Hydra and end the war once and for all; she was sure of it.

What she wasn’t sure about was Mikaelson.

“Captain.”

Caroline had always had a thing for men in properly fitting suits, and Mikaelson was proving to be no exception. “Agent Mikaelson,” she greeted, honestly surprised to see the man out at the pub, especially in civilian dress.

She pretended to ignore the once over Kat gave him, barely bothering to hide the smirk as she greeted him with a “sir.”

“Bonnie has some equipment for you to try. Tomorrow morning.”

“Sounds good.”

A silence that was more awkward than it had been between them in so long settled, Caroline catching sight of Kat shifting uneasily next to her, eyes darted between the two.

“I see your top squad is prepping for duty,” Mikaelson observed with no small amount of disparagement, eyeing the rowdy group as they drank and danced.

“You don’t like music?” Kat asked, eyebrow raised.

“I do, actually,” he answered, not once breaking eye contact with Caroline. “I might even, when this is all over, go dancing.”

Kat easily slipped into the sultry tone Caroline was familiar with whenever Kat dragged her out on the town. “Then what are we waiting for?”

“The right partner.”

Caroline was sure she stopped breathing in that moment. He couldn’t mean what she thought he did. Could he? Before she could think further on it he was turning and walking away.

“0800, Captain,” he shot back over his shoulder.

“Yes sir. I’ll be there,” she said, proud of herself for managing not to stutter.

Kat looked back and forth between them for a moment, incredulity stark on her face. “I’m invisible,” she declared, voice equal amounts shock and awe. “I’m turning into you, this is a nightmare.”

“Oh shut it, Katherine.”

“Great ass though.”

“ _Kat_!”

Caroline didn’t disagree with Kat- at all, actually- but it was a bit difficult to focus on Mikaelson’s… assets the next morning when he was firing bullets at her.

It hadn’t been her fault, honestly. The man watching the desk had been attractive, sure, but Caroline hadn’t been trying to start anything with him. Perhaps she had flirted back a bit when he had started saying how brave she was and how thankful America was for her. No one had ever flirted with her before. Was it so wrong of her to see how it felt? She hadn’t meant anything by it, it was just harmless fun, as Kat would say. She certainly hadn’t expected him to kiss her.

And she most definitely hadn’t expected Mikaelson to walk in on it.

“Captain! If you’re not otherwise occupied,” Mikaelson bit out, causing Caroline to pull away from the other man in surprise.

She quickly hurried after his retreating figure, not even sparing a glance back at the randy desk clerk. “Agent Mikaelson, wait.”

“Looks like finding a partner wasn’t that hard at all.”

Was that jealousy in his voice?

“Klaus,” she tried, daring to use his first name. It was bittersweet on her tongue- how long had she thought about saying it, though never under such circumstances, surely- as she straightened her jacket; the nameless man had been rather handsy. “It’s not what you think it is.”

“I don’t think anything at all, _Captain_ , not one thing.” His gaze ahead was practically murderous and Caroline almost had to jog to keep up with his brisk pace. “You’ve always wanted to be a soldier and now you are. Just like all the rest.”

“Well, what about you and Bennett,” Caroline shot back, attempting to find some way to fix this odd mess she found herself in. “How do I know you two aren’t… fonduing.”

Mikaelson shot her an incredulous look before he continued on down the hall, practically stomping as he went.

“Fondue is just cheese and bread, my friend,” Bennett said as she led Caroline into the equipment room. “Besides, Klaus? Definitely not my type.”

“Oh, uhm, okay?” Caroline was relieved but also vaguely annoyed. Why couldn’t Mikaelson just say that? Weren’t men supposed to be more straightforward? And what was with the pouting?

She didn’t have much time to think on it before Bennett was showing her the new shields she had to choose from. The vibranium shield immediately caught her eye. Large and circular, it was much lighter than it looked, though was apparently quite strong.

“Are you quite finished, Ms. Bennett?” Mikaelson cut into their discussion on the metal’s properties. “I’m sure the Captain has some unfinished business.”

Caroline had to fight hard to resist the urge to roll her eyes at his overtly petulant tone. She settled for an attempt at placation. “What do you think?” she asked, holding up her chosen shield.

Mikaelson eyed her for a moment before grabbing a gun from a nearby table, not even pausing for a second before firing off four shots straight at the shield. There was a brief period where no one moved, the only sound the ringing from the bullets ricocheting off the vibranium. “Yes. I think it works.”

Caroline and Bennett watched Mikaelson stalk off in pure shock before side eyeing each other.

Bennett gave a low whistle and comforting pat on the shoulder. “And that’s why he’s not my type. Good luck, hun.”

“Thanks…”

Caroline had a feeling she would need it.

Days, weeks, months passed. Caroline and her squad of commandos made relatively quick work of every Hydra base they came across. They seemed never ending, much like the war, but she knew there had to be a limit to even Hydra’s resources. They would come across Silas again soon, she could feel it.

In the meantime, Mikaelson- Klaus- and she grew closer. After the shield incident- and a thorough tongue lashing when Caroline regained her wits enough to realize what had just happened- they had had a discussion and things had returned to normal. The feelings between them were still mostly unspoken, though Caroline was now confident enough to recognize they were there.

Klaus oversaw her missions, playing a vital role even if he stayed behind at base camp. He was there for every up and down, win and loss; though they were mostly wins.

Until Kat.

He found her in the same pub as before, though the months away had left it a shell of its former self, bombed to little more than rubble. Though its liquor store had somehow managed to survive.

“Dr. Sommers said the serum wouldn’t just affect my muscles, that it would affect my cells. ‘Create a protective system of regeneration and healing,’” Caroline said, pouring herself another glass as Klaus watched on in silence. “Apparently, that means I can’t get drunk.”

“Your metabolism is four times that of the average person,” Klaus informed her, more as something to fill the air between them than as something she needed to know. “She thought it could be one of the side effects.”

Caroline hummed in acknowledgement, though her gaze never wavered from the bottom of her glass.

“It wasn’t your fault, Caroline.”

“Did you read the report?” she asked with a scoff.

“Yes.”

“Then you know that’s not true.”

Klaus continued to try and catch her eye as he sat across the burnt table from her, though she evaded it. “You did everything you could.”

“Did I?” she whispered, more to herself than him.

“Did you believe in your friend? Did you respect her?” Klaus asked, finally drawing her gaze.

“More than myself.”

“Then stop blaming yourself. Allow Pierce the dignity of her choice. She damn well must have thought you were worth it.” Klaus’ own opinion on her worth was clear even if unspoken.

“I’m going after Silas. I’m not going to stop until all of Hydra is dead or captured,” Caroline said, with a conviction she only half felt. It was hard to feel even that much at the moment.

“You won’t be alone.” He reached across the table to grab her hand. “And after this is all done I’ll show you the world like you deserve.”

His words meant everything to her.

Getting captured on purpose was surprisingly difficult. It took much longer than Caroline thought it should. Either she was just that good or the Hydra agents guarding the base were just that bad; though she supposed it didn’t really matter in the end. Silas took the bait easily, and her commandos stormed the base just as smoothly, freeing Caroline and allowing her to pursue her nemesis through the base as he fled- why did they always do that?

She was almost surprised when Klaus showed up, machine gun in hand as he rounded a corner.

“You’re late,” she teased, barely registering the rest of the soldiers running by.

They shared a stolen moment in time, just locking eyes and forgetting about the war for a brief moment; forgetting everything but each other. She was reminded of those damn romance novels again but-

“Weren’t you about to…?” Klaus asked, gaze flitting to where her shield was wedging open the door Silas had escaped through.

And the moment was gone.

“Right.”

It was all a rush after that. Dodging soldier, bullets, lasers, and chasing after a plane; Caroline’s new life was certainly never dull. Silas was on there, and as fast as she now was, she was no match for a plane that appeared to be powered by rockets.

Thankfully Klaus and Saltzman were there, appearing in a convertible just as she was losing speed. She didn’t hesitate to follow the barked order, jumping in the car and speeding after the plane, which was rapidly reaching the end of the runway.

“Keep it steady!” She yelled, preparing to make the jump from the car to the plane, the only chance they had of stopping Silas once and for all.

“Wait!”

Caroline almost missed the cry over the sound of the engines, but she was oh so glad she didn’t. As she turned in question to where Klaus sat behind her, he suddenly grabbed her by the collar of her suit, pulling her down until her lips finally slotted against his in a long awaited kiss.

Her expectations from years of reading about such passionate kisses flew to the wayside. They were nothing compared to the real thing. So many authors had described such a kiss as feeling like you were coming home. But to Caroline it was nothing like that; it was like finding herself. It was like she had finally caught up with the transformation of her body and was finally whole. She was finally who she was meant to be.

“Go get him, love,” Klaus whispered against her lips, and she pulled away with a smile.

Saltzman nodded towards the plane when she turned back. “Don’t look at me, I’m not kissing you.”

With a smirk she climbed onto the hood and jumped.

The final battle was hard fought. Silas refused to give up without a fight, holding to his insane world ending ideals until the end. Caroline didn’t have an issue with fighting him; honestly she had been hoping for that moment for a long time coming.

She just wished the plane hadn’t taken so much collateral damage in the act.

A brief glance at the navigation and the state of the plane told her everything she needed to know.

“Come in, this is Captain Forbes. Do you read me?” Hopefully the radio was still functional.

_“Caroline, is that you, are you alright?”_

Her heart clenched. She wasn’t sure if she was grateful or heartbroken that Klaus was in the radio tower at that moment.

“Silas is dead.”

_“What about the plane?”_

Caroline glanced down at the radio, glad he couldn’t see the look on her face. “That’s a different story…”

_“Give me your coordinates, love. I’ll find you a safe landing site.”_

She licked her lips before pushing on. “There’s not gonna be a safe landing. But I can try to force it down.”

_“I’ll get Bonnie on the line, she’ll know what to do.”_

“There’s not enough time. This thing’s moving too fast and it’s headed for New York.” Caroline wasn’t sure how she managed to keep her voice steady, but she was glad for it. “I have to put it in the water, Klaus.”

_“Caroline, no, we have time, we can figure something out.”_

“Right now I’m in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer a lot of people are going to die.” She blinked rapidly in an effort to keep the tears at bay. “Klaus… This is my choice.” ‘Allow me the dignity’ went unsaid.

The silence on the other end said everything.

She placed the pocket watch he had given her, the one that had belonged to his brother, on the panel in front of her. That stupid smirking photograph of him- the one she had teased him about endlessly- stared up at her. The plane tilted down, picking up speed.

“Klaus…” Her voice caught on the word, more bitter than sweet this time.

 _“I’m here.”_ Soft, resigned.

“I’m gonna need a raincheck on that dance.” She was proud when her words didn’t betray the tears falling like rain from her eyes.

Caroline looked up. The sky was so bright and clear. Klaus would have liked it. She wished she could have share a view like this with him.

She wished she could have shared everything with him.

_“Alright. A week next Saturday, I know a little place in Paris we can go, maybe visit Rome after.”_

“You got it,” she said, a small smile breaking through.

_“8 o’clock on the dot, don’t you dare be late, sweetheart. Understood?”_

“You know, I still don’t know how to dance.”

The sun glinted off the ice below, shining like diamonds up at her.

_“I’ll show you how, just be there.”_

Caroline closed her eyes, picturing Klaus holding out his hand at the edge of the dance floor, all blue eyes and smirking lips. She’d wear a blue dress, she decided, maybe put up her hair.

“We’ll have the band play something slow.”

He'd take her hand in his, give her a twirl, pull her close. Maybe dip her back, steal a kiss.

“Wouldn’t want you to step on my t-”

She didn’t regret a thing.

**Author's Note:**

> (And then Bonnie located the plane because she's a genius, they rescued Kat, and everyone lived happily ever after! That's totally how it went, let me have this!)


End file.
